Coronavirus updates in SC: 1 new COVID-19 death, 113 new cases reported in South Carolina

Staff

The Greenville News & Independent Mail

Note: The coronavirus pandemic is a rapidly developing event, and this story contains information that was only updated through March 29, 2020. Some of the information here may have changed because of the breaking nature of the pandemic; updates are reflected in more current stories. For our the latest on the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on South Carolina visit greenvillenews.com or independentmail.com.

Lo último sobre el coronavirus en Carolina del Sur: Cuarentena obligatoria para algunos visitantes

Live Updates: The latest on coronavirus in the Upstate & South Carolina

President extends social distancing guidelines

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the White House would be extending its social distancing guidelines through April 30, from an initial 15-day timeline when they were implemented on March 16.

One more COVID-19 death in South Carolina, 113 new cases

An elderly patient in Horry County with underlying health conditions has died in relation to the coronavirus, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said in a statement Sunday afternoon. The state has had 16 deaths due to coronavirus.

The state also has 113 new cases of COVID-19, as of Sunday.

The highest number of new cases by county are in Richland (17), Greenville (14) and Beaufort (11) counties.

Statewide there are 774 cases in 40 of the state's 46 counties.

The new cases are in:

Aiken County: 2 cases
Anderson County: 5 cases
Beaufort County: 11 cases
Calhoun County: 1 case
Charleston County: 8 cases
Clarendon County: 9 cases
Darlington County: 2 cases
Edgefield County: 1 case
Florence County: 1 case
Georgetown County: 4 cases
Greenville County: 14 cases
Horry County: 3 cases
Kershaw County: 5 cases
Lancaster County: 4 cases
Laurens County: 1 case
Lexington County: 5 cases
Marlboro County: 1 case
Oconee County: 1 case
Orangeburg County: 2 cases
Pickens County: 1 case
Richland County: 17 cases
Spartanburg County: 4 cases
Sumter County: 6 cases
York County: 5 cases

Second state Department of Corrections employee tests positive

A behavioral health employee housed at the former Watkins PreRelease Center tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, a press release from the S.C. Department of Corrections said.

The employee was last at work on March 19 and has been in self-isolation since. His last two visits to institutions were on March 10 and 17, and he had no contact with inmates on either day. He will not return to work until a full recovery is documented.

The employee occasionally visited institutions and worked in behavioral health at Watkins, which is near SCDC’s Broad River complex in Columbia. A contact investigation is being conducted with guidance from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

This is the second SCDC employee who has tested positive. No inmates are positive for COVID19, the release said.

Lake Conestee Nature Preserve temporarily closes

The Lake Conestee Nature Preserve (LCNP) has closed until further notice to support the local, state and national initiatives encouraging people to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19, Dave Hargett, founder and executive director of the Conestee Foundation said in an email Sunday.

LCNP is privately owned by the Conestee Foundation, a conservation non-profit.

It includes over 400 acres of greenspace and roughly 14 miles of trails, and extending onto another 300-plus acres of lands owned by the city (old city landfill) and ReWa.

LCNP is the largest natural area in the City of Greenville, and the largest forested/wetland area in the upper Reedy River watershed.

“We are communicating with city, county, and state agencies, and will support their public health and safety initiatives,” Hargett said. “We will reopen to the public following their schedule.”

Anderson County Summary Court to close to public

Anderson County's Summary Court, in the Ronald Townsend building at 2404 N. Main St., will be closed to the general public. Staff will be available by phone (864-260-4156) or email from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

All jury, bench and traffic cases have been postponed until after May 1.

Anyone summoned for jury duty at this time does not need to appear.

Gov. McMaster extends state of emergency in South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster on Saturday issued an executive order extending the state of emergency in South Carolina for another 15 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The order restates provisions in McMaster's original declaration of a state of emergency on March 13 that was due to expire today. It also restates other emergency provisions the governor has implemented since the health crisis began.

The new order will remain in place for 15 days, which means it would expire on April 12 unless it is changed or extended by the Gov.

Read the full executive order here.

DHEC reports 2 more COVID-19 deaths, 121 new cases in SC

Two more COVID-19 patients have died in South Carolina, according to an announcement from The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Saturday afternoon.

The state’s total number of deaths relating to the respiratory illness is now 15.

Both patients, one of Richland County and the other of Horry County, were elderly individuals who had underlying health conditions, the release says.

DHEC also reported 121 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday afternoon, including six in Greenville County and four in Anderson County.

That brings the total number of confirmed cases statewide to 660 in 40 counties.

"This high number of cases is due to reporting cases from a backlog that had developed at DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory due to a nationwide shortage in the chemicals required for performing testing," the release says. "As of yesterday, DHEC’s Laboratory has the necessary chemicals and is processing tests as normal. The lab is operating extended hours and is testing samples seven days a week."

South Carolina troops to assist FEMA

National Guard from South Carolina are joining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Army North announced Saturday the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command Headquarters of the National Guard in Anderson will be deployed to provide support of civil authorities.

“I have requested this additional deployment to further expand the use of our military

capabilities, in support of FEMA, to the communities which need us most,” Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson said in the press release.

The Anderson troops are included as part of a larger request made Saturday. More personnel from Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia are also deploying.

In total, 800 more people will be supporting FEMA, providing medical, planning, communication, transportation and logistics support.

They will not directly participate in civilian law enforcement activities, the announcement says.

Bob Jones University announces COVID-19 connection

An immediate family member of a person associated with Bob Jones University and Bob Jones Academy High School has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a Saturday statement.

Neither the university or academy has held in-person classes in the past two weeks.

Officials were informed of the diagnosis late Saturday morning, the release says.

Schools expand wireless internet coverage

Greenville County Schools is adding locations for families to access the internet, according to a release from the district Saturday morning.

School buses equipped with wireless internet will be at 20 additional locations starting Monday. These sites include community spots like Dollar General Stores and Quick Trips. Buses will be at available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Click here for more information on the locations.

Two more feeding and wireless internet sites will also open Monday:

Grove Station Apartments, 1 Lakeside Road #20, Greenville, SC 29611
Juanita Butler Community Center, 2 Burns Street, Greenville, SC 29605

Correctional officer tests positive

South Carolina now has its first reported case involving any correctional officer or inmate in the state's prison system.

The officer, who was not identified by the state Department of Corrections, was last working at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia on March 17 and has been in self-isolation for 10 days, Chrysti Shain, a SCDC spokeswoman, said in an email to The Greenville News.

The officer worked in a unit with 16 inmates who were in single cells, Shain told The Greenville News late Friday. Those inmates are being quarantined and monitored in single cells for the next four days to complete a 14-day monitoring period, she said.

They have not shown symptoms of illness.

Greenville COVID-19 patient tells her story

Yarissa Correa of Greenville spoke with The News in an exclusive interview this week that she wants to tell her story.

She said sick people should be telling their stories. Symptoms vary wildly, she said, and news reports are not telling people what they really need to know, what their neighbors can tell them.

Read more about her symptoms, her diagnosis and how this is impacting her daily life here.

Prisma Health announces furloughs

Prisma Health is furloughing employees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, citing dramatic income loss.

"The number of elective cases, which generate a major portion of our income, has decreased dramatically in the past two weeks," according to a statement from Prisma Health CEO Mark O'Halla on Friday night. "Additionally, we are incurring significant new costs associated with the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 patients who are seeking care from Prisma Health."

Employees in administrative, corporate and clinical areas across the entire organization would be impacted, the statement says.

Prisma Health-Upstate, with some 15,000 employees, has eight hospitals and dozens of medical practices. Prisma Health-Midlands has four hospitals.

Here's what to know this weekend

Greenville city leaders say they're reconsidering issuing a stay-at-home order for residents after the Attorney General's Office released an opinion saying Gov. Henry McMaster's emergency orders take precedence over local decisions. McMaster has said he doesn't think a stay-at-home order is necessary because people have been following orders and voluntarily complying with social distancing recommendations. City council will meet Monday to discuss local measures.
The number of park closures continues to increase — on Friday it was reported that all South Carolina State Parks will close as well as Cleveland Park in Greenville.
South Carolina residents who make less than $75,000 will be sent $1,200 as part of a $2.2 trillion federal stimulus plan President Donald Trump signed Friday afternoon. Families with children will receive an additional $500 per child.
Gov. Henry McMaster ordered visitors to South Carolina from areas identified as hot spots for coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days. He said the hot spots are New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as the city of New Orleans.
Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat from Charleston, said he tested positive for COVID-19 and has been self-quarantined since March 19. He said Friday his symptoms had begun to improve, but he could not smell or taste anything.
You'll have more time to get a Real ID in South Carolina, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced Friday. The deadline for REAL ID originally set for October 2020 was pushed to October 2021.
The first death related to COVID-19 in Greenville County was reported Friday. DHEC said the person was elderly and had underlying medical conditions. A total of 13 people have died from the illness in South Carolina, and 539 cases have been confirmed statewide. The number of cases is expected to increase as state health officials say they plan this weekend to process the state's backlog of 1,600 samples.